1. Field
Methods and apparatuses consistent with the exemplary embodiments relate to a method and apparatus for controlling a home network access using phone numbers, and a system thereof, which enable sharing users (remote users) to access a shared device inside a home using telephone numbers previously recognized by the sharing users when contents (home contents) of a universal plug and play (UPnP) device located inside the home are shared with the sharing users outside the home; and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for controlling a home network access using phone numbers, and a system thereof, which enables a sharing user to set and manage information on a home gateway to be accessed by the sharing user and an access list (i.e., sharing user list) to allow access to the home based on a telephone number, and enables sharing users outside a home to simply access a shared device inside the home based on telephone numbers recognized by the sharing users so that the sharing users can use contents of UPnP devices connected to a home network outside the home.
Although it is described in the following exemplary embodiments that content sharing in a home network is extended to the outside of a home so that remote users located outside the home can easily use home contents, the scope of the application is not limited thereto.
2. Description of Related Art
Universal plug and play (UPnP) technology is used to perform mutual communication between various devices connected to a home network. In devices having a UPnP protocol applied thereto, it is possible to find devices connected to the home network and to use services and contents provided from the corresponding devices.
Studies have been conducted to develop various methods for extending content sharing in a home network to outside the home, so that remote users located outside the home can use contents of the home network, but any remarkable result has not yet been obtained.
Meanwhile, various types of communication terminals are provided, including a general wired phone terminal, an Internet phone linked with the Internet, a mobile phone linked with a mobile communication network and wired/wireless Internet network, etc., and telephone numbers are provided to the communication terminals, respectively. Accordingly, it is possible to distinguish information on the communication terminal and home of an individual user. In the communication terminals, information of other people are divided and managed based on telephone numbers, and information on the telephone numbers may be shared and managed between various terminals in the home network.
Therefore, it is urgently required to provide a scheme for enabling remote users to access a shared device inside a home using telephone numbers previously recognized by the remote users so that the remote users located outside of the home can easily use home contents by extending content sharing in a home network to outside the home.